Some mock the Chrysler PT Cruiser in a similar fashion to the infamous rock band Nickelback. However, that didn’t stop Jay Workman — even if some of those close to him voiced their thoughts about his car choice.
“Most people don’t like PT Cruisers,” Workman, 44, of Barboursville, West Virginia, said. “My wife, Heather, gives me a hard time about building a PT Cruiser. Other than that, most people [in racing] like it.”
Workman debuted the car last August at a Vores Compact Touring Series (VCTS) event at Ona Speedway in West Virginia. In February, he took it to the Winter Warm-Up at the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida.
“That car gets attention, no matter where it goes,” said Workman. “People were coming over [to my pit] left and right. [They said,] ‘Wow, that’s different.’ Everybody underestimates it — I like that, too.”
He certainly found some speed with his PT Cruiser.
“I hold the track record [in the U-cars at Ona Speedway],” Workman said. “I set that in [qualifying during] their last race.”
Workman raced Dodge Neons previously. He said they share much in common with the PT Cruiser.
“The drivetrain is similar,” said Workman. “The transmissions [and] engines are interchangeable. The wiring harness I bought [for the PT Cruiser] comes from a Neon. [It has] a Neon computer. The front suspension is out of a Neon. The only difference is the rear. It has a straight axle, where a Neon has an independent rear suspension. The way the straight axle is designed, it has a Watt’s linkage, so it kind of works like an independent rear suspension. It handles as good as anything I have ever driven.”
The PT Cruiser has one more significant difference when compared to a Neon.
“My Neons are probably 200 to 300 lb. lighter,” Workman said. “It was quite the challenge to get the weight down on [the PT Cruiser].”
Nevertheless, Workman, a Mopar aficionado, has high hopes for the Chrysler PT Cruiser this season.
“Yes, I want to be fast, and I like having the track record with the PT Cruiser,” said Workman. “But, at the end of the day, it’s about having fun. And, it’s fun having an oddball car and turning heads with it.”
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
